Getting Started with OpenCode - Your First Commands

Your First Session

After installing OpenCode, let's start your first coding session.

Starting OpenCode

Open your terminal and navigate to your project directory:

bash

cd ~/projects/my-app
opencode

You'll see the OpenCode prompt:

bash

OpenCode v0.1.0
Working directory: ~/projects/my-app

> How can I help you today?

Basic Commands

OpenCode understands natural language. Here are some things you can ask:

bash

> Explain what this codebase does
> Find all TODO comments in the project
> Help me fix the bug in auth.ts
> Write a function to validate email addresses

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
`Ctrl+C`	Cancel current operation
`Ctrl+D`	Exit OpenCode
`Tab`	Autocomplete
`↑/↓`	Navigate history

Understanding the Interface

The Prompt

The default prompt shows:

Current working directory
Git branch (if in a git repository)
Model being used

bash

~/projects/my-app (main) [claude-3-5-sonnet]
>

Output Modes

OpenCode displays different types of content:

Code blocks - Syntax highlighted code:

bash

function greet(name: string): string {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`;
}

File operations - Shows files being read or modified:

bash

Reading: src/utils/helpers.ts
Writing: src/components/Button.tsx

Thinking - Shows the AI's reasoning process:

bash

Thinking: Analyzing the codebase structure...
Found 3 TypeScript files in src/components/

Working with Code

Reading Files

Ask OpenCode to read and explain code:

bash

> Read src/App.tsx and explain its structure

OpenCode will:

Read the file contents
Analyze the code structure
Provide a clear explanation

Modifying Files

Request code changes with natural language:

bash

> Add error handling to the fetchUser function

OpenCode will:

Show you the proposed changes
Ask for confirmation before applying
Apply the changes to your files

Creating New Files

Ask OpenCode to create new files:

bash

> Create a new React component called UserProfile

Best Practices

Be Specific

More specific requests get better results:

❌ "Fix the bug" ✅ "Fix the TypeScript error in src/api/users.ts line 42"

❌ "Make it faster" ✅ "Optimize the database query in getUserById to use indexing"

Provide Context

Help OpenCode understand your needs:

bash

> I'm building a REST API with Express.js.
> Create a middleware for JWT authentication.

Review Changes

Always review proposed changes before applying:

OpenCode shows a diff of proposed changes
Type y to accept or n to reject
You can ask for modifications before accepting

Common Tasks

Code Review

bash

> Review src/auth.ts for security issues

Refactoring

bash

> Refactor the UserService class to use dependency injection

Documentation

bash

> Add JSDoc comments to all exported functions in utils/

Testing

bash

> Write unit tests for the validateEmail function

Tips for Success

Start small - Begin with simple tasks to understand how OpenCode works
Use context - Tell OpenCode about your project's tech stack and conventions
Iterate - Don't expect perfect results on the first try; refine your requests
Learn from responses - Pay attention to how OpenCode approaches problems

Next Steps

Ready to explore more advanced features? Check out:

Agent Mode - Let OpenCode handle complex multi-step tasks
Model Configuration - Choose the best model for your needs
Tips & Tricks - Advanced usage patterns